Function of a Dish Rack
Dish racks kitchen accessories are commonly found in homes that lack a dishwasher, though they also may be found in any home for overflow purposes. Their primary function is to allow dishes that have been recently washed to dry naturally.
Designs
A wide variety of designs for dish racks exist, differing from each other in the orientation in which the dishes to be dried are maintained, the material of their construction (usually steel or plastic, but sometimes wood), and whether they accommodate plates and bowls only, or utensils as well.
Principle
The basic idea behind a dish rack is that by holding just-washed dishes apart from each other, more of the dish surface area is exposed to the air. This function allows the dishes to dry far faster than if they were simply stacked. Most dish racks also have a means to collect the water that drips from the drying dishes and, frequently, funnel it into an adjacent sink.
Alternate Uses
In addition to being used to help dry dishes, an empty dish rack is a common solution for drying small dishcloths. The cloths are suspended across the dish rack or hung from one side to allow them to quickly dry. In kitchens that lack space, the racks also can be used to store dishes for extended periods of time.
